The capital’s first One Stop Centre (OSC), that will provide medical and legal facilities to rape victims, was inaugurated by Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung at Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Mangolpuri on Thursday.

Speaking at the hospital during the inauguration, Jung said, “Since these centres were announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during the Delhi Budget, it should be made operational in a time-bound manner. The Health department should also keep its promise of setting up similar centres in each government hospital in each district.”

Jung further said the highlight of the OSC is its “comfortable, soothing and relaxing environment. The sensitised, humane and empathetic approach of the staff will aim at eliminating post-rape trauma of the victim while following mandatory procedures.”

The L-G said the OSC will meet the immediate needs of rape victims, including registration of police complaint, recording of statement and medical examination. It will also provide long-term facilities including medical treatment, psycho-social counselling, clothing and referral to shelter home, if required. CATS ambulances will provide transport on discharge from the hospital.

“We had been planning these centres for the last eight months. Such a multidisciplinary set-up will reduce the number of agencies a victim has to go to and thereby reduce trauma,” Special Secretary S B Shashank, who has been involved in implementing the project, said.

At the OSC, medical examination will be done according to a protocol developed by a team of experts from the hospital and the Health department.

Collection of forensic evidence will be done using 15 different samples, in a designated SAFE (Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence) kit. Samples will then be sent to forensic laboratories for testing, Shashank said.

The Delhi government will also start a similar centre at Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) hospital in West Delhi on Friday.

Shashank also said the Health department was coordinating with the Centre to setup OSCs in Safdarjung hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College within the next three months.

“We are trying to set up OSCs in hospitals which receive maximum number of sexual assault victims. Safdarjung hospital receives the most rape victims in South Delhi, so it was decided that it will house the OSC for South Delhi,” he said.

The OSCs were recommended by the Usha Mehra commission in February 2013 after the December 2012 gangrape.

Principal Secretary (Social Welfare and WCD) Satbir Bedi, Secretary (Health) SCL Das and other senior officers of the Health department were present at the inauguration.